Brown-Forman plans distillery in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Spirits maker Brown-Forman Corp. is returning to its roots in Louisville to build a distillery to produce Old Forester bourbon, its founding brand.

The company said Thursday it anticipates investing about $30 million to build the production facility and a visitors’ center along a stretch of downtown Louisville that was known as "Whiskey Row."

The Old Forester Distillery is expected to open in the fall of 2016.

Brown-Forman says the new distillery will allow it to double production of Old Forester.

The Louisville-based company purchased two historic buildings for the operation. One structure was occupied by Brown-Forman from 1900 to 1919.

The investment comes amid surging growth for Kentucky’s bourbon industry. Kentucky distillers have invested more than a half-billion dollars in expansions and startups since 2012, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

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